I've got an 80-gallon hot water tank, and we're running out of hot water way too quickly. There's no visible leaks, and I'm looking for a way to monitor our hot water usage. I'm not interested in the Moen Flo system, and I'd prefer something without a valve, ideally under $600. Any suggestions for a WiFi or Bluetooth water meter that fits the bill?
3 Answers
You might want to consider attaching a temperature sensor to the outlet pipe of your heater. It won't give you perfect flow measurements, but you'll see the temperature rise when hot water is flowing and drop when it's not. If you have an electric heater, check if the lower element or thermostat might be faulty too. Also, could be that some housemates are taking unexpectedly long showers!
Is your tank less than three years old? If it is, that's still relatively new. It might be worth checking for a broken dip tube as that can also cause issues with water delivery. And don’t forget to monitor the temperatures! If it’s set too low, that can be a bacteria risk. Keeping an eye on that could save some headaches!
If your heater is electric, you might have a dead element which could drastically reduce your hot water supply. Most 80-gallon tanks can have up to 3 elements, so if even one is out, it can be a problem. I also haven’t found any affordable flow logging options, so curious to see what solutions people might recommend!
Thanks for the tip! I’ll definitely check the dip tube. Good point about the temp setting too!